The Chiropractor begins with establishing your case history by asking you questions about your background regarding your health, such as surgery, accidents, the onset of your condition, and other details affecting your current health. After reviewing your history and discussing your specific problem with you, a thorough examination is performed, including X-rays.
The findings of these examinations are explained to you and a plan of chiropractic adjustments may be recommended. Your progress is monitored with periodic examinations and follow-up reports.
This is the procedure your chiropractor uses to correct spinal misalignments. Adjustments are only used after careful evaluation, examination and consideration of all facts in your case.
Chiropractors use highly skillful and extremely specific and controlled forces to create an improvement in spinal movements and alignment. The force used is low. Adjustments most often cause a gentle click or popping noise. Because an adjustment is so specific to one bone at a time, these noises (or cavitations as they are known) are painless. They certainly do not equate to excessively loud or forceful crunches, which many people misconceive chiropractic adjustments to be.
Lubricating fluids separate the bones of each spinal joint. Some adjusting methods can produce a sound when the gas and fluids in the joint shift. It’s much like opening a bottle of champagne or removing a suction cap. The sound is interesting but it isn’t a guide to the quality or value of the adjustment.
The number of adjustments varies with each patient and their individual health goals. Many patients sense progress within the initial stage of care. Visits become less often as your spine stabilises. In chronic cases, complete healing can take months or even years.
More and more people are considering chiropractors , especially in their later years. With growing concerns about over-medication and side effects of combining various prescription drugs, safe, natural chiropractic care is growing in popularity. Restoring better spinal function can help improve mobility, vitality, endurance and appetite. Many patients report improvement with arthritic symptoms and other chronic ailments often associated with the ageing process.
As we get older and wiser, the simplicity and effectiveness of chiropractic care becomes more and more obvious. The method of treating your spine will be varied to provide gentle and comfortable restoration of spinal function.
To see a testimonial from a patient in their 60’s please visit the testimonial page.
Learning the how, when, where and why of each chiropractic adjustment takes years of training and experience. Chiropractic adjustment consists of a specific force applied in a specific direction to a specific joint. Therefore, it is nearly impossible for a person to adjust themselves.
Some people manipulate themselves. This process carries with it its own risks and dangers. The most common of these is to cause hyper-mobility to the joint in question due to excessive ‘popping’ of the joint. This can cause many later problems and can be difficult to reverse.
Chiropractic (literally translated as ‘to do by hand’) is an art and a philosophy. It is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism. This is called ‘homeostasis’. All functions are controlled by your brain, via your spinal cord and nerves.
The bones of the spine protect and maintain the communication pathways of the spinal and nerves. If any part of the nervous system is impaired, it can cause problems in any of the body’s tissues and organs. Chiropractors refer to this as ‘Vertebral Fixation Complex’. Vertebral, meaning the bones of the spine, Fixation meaning less than a total dislocation and Complex, meaning consisting of more than one part. The art of chiropractic comes partially from the skill needed to gently adjust the spine and to restore the normal movement.
Chiropractic is the science of locating these misalignments in the spine, the art of reducing their impact to the nervous system, and our philosophy is that of working with the natural systems built into our bodies.
Much of the latest research has shown the benefits of chiropractic care (for certain conditions) We are receiving more and more referrals from Doctors clinic’s. Its fair to say some refer frequently, and some not at all.
Spinal discs do not physically ‘slip’. They are anchored firmly to the bones above and below them. Discs can bulge and herniate though through injury or the ongoing effects of osteoarthritis (degeneration). Spinal misalignments left unchecked, can contribute to this degeneration process.
Spinal misalignments can develop to the point where one day you may bend over, something ‘gives way’ or ‘slips’ in your back and you feel pain, locking and an inability to straighten properly. It feels like a slipped disc and this is why it gets its name. It is however locking of joints due to pinching of tissues, inflammation and muscle spasm.
Oliver holds two degrees: a BSc (Hons), and an MSc (Chiro). The training took a total of 5 years. In addition to his UK qualifications Oliver Crawford also took his Part I, II, III, IV American National Board exams (which are the American equivalent of the British Chiropractic exams).
Oliver is fully registered with the UK regulatory body (call the General Chiropractic Council) as well as the British Chiropractic Association. He holds £5,000,000 professional indemnity insurance.
Chiropractic is generally very safe when performed correctly by a trained and registered chiropractor.
Some people can experience the following side effects:
- aches and pains
- stiffness
- tiredness
These side effects are usually mild and pass in a few days.
There is a risk of more serious problems, such as stroke, from spinal manipulation, but the risk is extremely small. Please see the NHS website for further information.
As a UK registered Chiropractor, Chiropractic treatment is covered by most insurance companies at Wollaston Spinal Health. We would suggest contacting your insurer to confirm however.
Any more questions? Just ask our friendly team
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